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Ray: Love that you think I "worhsip" you!! It was SOOOOOO good to stand next to you on Sunday to prepare for our first performance this season with our celebrated alumni members in one of my favorite venues - the Lilac Parade! As far as the drill, the music, the season - all I can say is stop by our rehearsals and check us out to make up your mind. We are having a fabulous time, our membership is awesome, our work ethic is beyond compare and our show will certainly validate Mr. B and his legacy. Can't wait to share our work with our families, our fans, the DCA audiences and those who know and remember Mr. B and what he stood for! You will not be disapointed!

Tammy and Dale: So good to see you and the babies - they are too cute and growing sooooo fast. Sure wish we all had more time to catch up, maybe the next visit!! Thanks for your comments on the show. It's always good to hear a perspective from those who have performed with us in the past as you know what these shows are like. I thought our turnout was really great for the first winter show! The drumline was smaller that night due to indoor winter shows as you mentioned. Several were back for rehearsal on Sunday. Our pit is larger than normal for this time of year, but more importantly, very talented!! Gotta tell you, I had a great time performing our show music and our regulars for shows like this. I've said it before and will say it again here, there is a special energy about our group this year that makes you think about a fantastic season. Add in the large alumni group theya are putting together for parades and exhibitions and the result can only be amazing! Can't wait to meet some of the alums from the 80's and 90's and hear about their experiences with the Statesmen! If you are wondering what a special season for drum corps can be, stop by our next rehearsal at Mercy High School on Saturday, March 15th or Sunday the 16th and check it out! You won't be disappointed!! Dale and Tammy - have a blast with the little ones!! Leslie

I always look forward to our first winter show of the year! The anticipation of the audience response, the energy at practice on the day of the show, the LONG rehearsal with David before the show to assure we will perform and be the entertainer's his dad would smile down upon and the INSPECTION before the show. Watch out rookies, you may find several long time members in the center of the gym! The best part, however, is our show after the show!! We go back to the gym, arc it up and play for anyone who comes in to hear an encore performance. We really get down and enjoy ourselves with the crowd! So, come on down to Marcus Whitman for an experience you are not soon to forget. This evening of music will be sure to entertain you. Personally, I can't wait to hear the Marcus Whitman band perform....Our alumni and current marching members from the school demonstrate their commitment to quality! Lauren, vibratorjr, Jimmie, Kenny (who I'm sure will post to this post) and anyone else - can't wait to perform with you!! Leslie

Lauren You know it - third bari and the power of the lower brass will be outstanding this year kiddo!! Hey, do you remember getting recruited at one of the winter drum shows at MW a couple of years ago???? Geeze, who was it that got you into this activity????? Can't seem to remember!!! We have some recruiting work to do at the show next weekend too. Care to join me? Looking so forward to marching with you again and keeping you out of trouble!! Leslie

Hey Tammy - those babies of yours are getting cuter by the month. Can't wait to see you and them at Marcus Whitman! The corps is filling out nicely this season - bari line is pretty well set, looking for 2 mello players, 2 lead and 2 lower soprano players. However, that said, we never stop recruiting. I opted to play third bari this year - Chrissy needed a few more adults in her section!! Can't wait to march with Lauren again!! Gotta tell you that as each camp comes and goes, we get stronger and closer as a performing group. The staff plans our weekend rehearsals so that when we leave on Sunday, we feel like we have improved 150%. Our first Winter Show will be fantastic - preparation is everything and Jimmy Steele is certainly one to have folks prepared! As he says, it's the small things that win championships - I like to think of it this way - "The devil is in the details". We have several new members that are quite talented as players and marchers, which makes their transition into drum corps that much easier. The positive energy coupled with the raw talent and spirit of our group will make this summer season one to remember. Top it off with the alumni joining us at parades and shows and we'll be one special group. Have any time to march as an alum at an event this summer??? The pit is huge and Matt is back working with them. There is always a special energy when he works with our performers. You and Dale are sure to enjoy yourselves. See you at Marcus Whitman, Lauren and Adam's home base! See you soon.

Thank you for your kind words and enthusiasm! This is going to be a special season for the Statesmen. The energy, hard work, spirit, and effort are outstanding. And the Music - WOW - haven't been this excited about a show since we played Begin the Beguine in 2002! The opener is going to have the audience rivoted! Jerry Kelsey has outdone himself! If you want to hear a sample of our summer show, we are performing our first winter show of the season on March 1st at 7:00pm at Marcus Whitman High School. As always, the Statesmen do these shows in support of the music program and the continue with our rich heritage of being "America's entertainers". If you are interested in checking out our rehearsal - we will be rehearsing at Marcus Whitman High School on Saturday, March 1st beginning at 11:00am and then again on Sunday from 9am - 3pm. Stop by!! You won't be disappointed. As Jimmy Steele says, "We never stop recruiting!" Leslie Statesmen 2008 25th Anniversary Celebration!!

Hey - great for the section - what part is he playing? I'm hopeful that our position will change so that marching can be a real go! Absolutely love the music and miss the people too much. Time will tell. Keep your energy and spirit going, my friend!

Hey - what else would you expect from a bari player, huh? A gentlemen through and through! Did I actually say that about you??? Leslie

Kenny! Wow - what a great story - goes to show that drum corps folks have heart and soul. You and Danielle certainly showed this last night! So proud of you and what you bring to our corps - even IF you use one word a bit too much!!! LOL. :):) Hope to see you again soon!! Leslie

David - Mr. B would love to meet the newest members of our corps and talk to them about entertainment! He would be proud of them all, and of David for the work he has done to keep the Statesmen true to their artform. All great corps have great leaders (whether in spirit or in the flesh). And that's what makes DCA so great - the variety of leadership and the perfection each group strives to attain!!

Keep sending the pix of the kids! We'll keep you in touch about our music, our spirit and our corps!!

Kenny and Lauren - can't wait to stand with you in January!! Kenny - don't get lost in the snow and Lauren - ENJOY college - can't wait to hear the stories you and Adam bring back!! See you soon.

: Right back at you Adam!!!

Ok, I'm sitting here at home, watching the snow fall for the first time this season (yeah Kenny, can you believe we get snow here in Brockport?? How many inches did you get today?) and avoiding doing the schoolwork I need to get done right now. Being a casual DCP reader and less frequent contributor, I can't help but add my two cents about this conversation. I'm not too concerned about the hype and the comments individual's make as it's their own way of getting excited about the upcoming season or share valuable history about our activity, as biased or unbiased as it may be. Controversy, afterall, keeps the story interesting, right? What I do care about is the energy and enthusiasm I witnessed at our first camp. It is this energy and excitement that will carry our group throughout the upcoming season and we must work hard to keep moving forward while maintaining our spirit about the anniversary show and our corps. As a marching member for the last 7 summers I can tell you that each year we go through the winter meeting new people each camp while our core group of members return and add to the stability of our hornline and drumline. This year, I hope that we welcomed the new people in a manner that causes them to return and stay throughout the winter and experience one hell of a memorable season in drum corps. I can't believe that any drum corps group feels differently. This is a great activity. I thank god we have members like our Child Prodigy, Kenny, Allen, Dale (though busy being a daddy to two beautiful children), vibratoJR as well as our peers who support the success of our group as we support their success. We need to continue to talk, with excitement about our corps, share well wishes with other DCA members and do our best to assure that DCA and it's brand of entertainment continues to please the crowds so that we can continue to do what we love. The diversity of what DCA offers the fan is outstanding - can you imagine if we were all the same - wouldn't see me at a show! So, Adam, you keep getting us excited (wish you talked as much at camp!!), VibratoJr - you keep your countdowns going, Kenny - keep up your enthusiasm, Allen - keep us tempered, Dale - thanks for offering your ever thoughtful and rigorous editorials and to everyone else, thanks for keeping it interesting. I can't wait to hit the competition field in June!! Leslie

Carrie: I can't agree with you more. This is my seventh year with the Statesmen and the excitement, energy and sounds we are putting together at this time of the year are extraordinary. The music is outstanding, fun to play and bound to be enjoyed by the audience. To be as far along as we are at this point is exciting. Fans, casual observers and family are welcomed to attend our first Winter Show performance at Dundee High School on Saturday, March 2nd. Additional information can be found at our website (www.statesmen.org). You won't be disappointed!!! If you have ambitions to march and have not made a final decision about where, come to one of our camps in March and feel free to join in the line and experience the music first hand or join our colorguard on Sundays to spin and leave knowing you have worked hard!! No pressure, just the Statesmen family experience. If you like the music of Maynard Fergeson, the excitement of entertaining and a genuine family atmosphere, you will not be disappointed. Leslie ES07 Maynard Fergeson ^OO^

OK, the drill is done, the show is fantastic, the music is known by all, the audience should love this show. Afterall, the Statesmen were created to entertain, and this show promises to do just that! I can't wait to perform with all of our members and make this a memorable start to a wonderful season! Our hornline sounds beautiful, our drummers are great, the PIT, Man we actually have a PIT and the talent is unbelieveable and what a comradary they have already and our colorguard is out of this world! They add so much color and pizzazz to the show......WHOOOOO, this is what drum corps is all about!! Best of luck to all of the other competing corps, it sounds like this will be a great summer for the fans of DCA!! Catch Some Rays ES06 B)

I second this - this year is something special, the drill, the music, the members - there is a great chemistry brewing! If you want to work hard but relish the summer because of the unique family you will join, come watch us this weekend at TSE - or check out the website!! ES06 Catchin some Ray's B)

Tammy: Dave did pretty well this past weekend....it'll be great to have the holes filled though and to have you and Dale back. Friday is a go....what time? Leslie

Tammy: Hey, yeah, we cleaned alright, and some of your favorite sets in Georgia! Between Dave Orser, Adam and myself, we've got some of the moves down good enough that it won't be too much trouble for you and Dale to fit right in! This drill has to be Jamie's best in 6 years - while tough, it fits the music sooooo well and will certainly entertain the audience. Missed you two this past weekend, and both Steve and I congratulate you on the union!! Talk to you soon.... Leslie

Hey. we used to have a larger representation from other sections - let's get all the peeps out to hear from them!

Allen: You are toooo kind! I loved the part where I, "strut on the field with a paper tube!!" Now that's drum corps. Felt over 40 after rehearsal last week, but I'm soooo ready to go for the rest of our summer! Can't wait to put this show on the road in Wildwood!! By the way, gotta love how they emphasized my age....... what's up with that???" Come catch some rays with the Statesmen - you still have time, albeit a few days to make a decision! Camp this weekend at ESL sports center at MCC. Come prepared to march in the rain!! Gotta love drum corps!! ES06 B)

It's Tuesday and my calves are sore, my thighs ache and boy, can I tell I haven't run in a while! Gotta get out in this nice weather!! This drill is great fun! Can't wait to perform to an audience! They will sooooo enjoy it! Come on down and see what we're talking about at our next camp at ESL on the campus of MCC. B15 is waiting for someone. April 22nd and 23rd. Catch some rays ES06 B)

What a weekend! We had a terrific rehearsal Saturday, reviewing, "What I Say", "Bye Bye Love" and "America". Later in the afternoon, we rehearsed for the evening performance and had a wonderful dinner prepared by the Leroy Band Boosters. Our show Saturday night was outstanding, the audience was great, our staff was dancing in the back of the auditorium and our Empire Cadets joined us for our performance of Rio at the end of the show. With almost 50 horns and a multitalented drum line there Saturday night, we simply rocked the house!! Thank you to Matt Nordhausen for bringing us to his home school and to the community of Leroy for their warm welcome! Today, we practiced outside all day, in the low 40's but sunny! We completed our first 41 sets - can you say "awesome"!!! Jamie has outdone himself this year! I can't wait to see what he puts together for the rest of the show! We still have a couple of open spots - please come to our next rehearsal at ESL on the campus of MCC, April 22nd and 23rd! You won't be disappointed!! Catch Some Rays ES06 B)

Teddi and the rest of you! I've been working two jobs recently, and, like Tim, having time to visit the site and respond has been tough!! HOWEVER, I'm sooooo psyched to part of this show this season - the vision, the music, the special effects we have planned and, the most important, the family we call the Statesmen are the reasons our season this summer will be so special. NOT TO MENTION - we will be practicing at my fav football location, the Buffalo Bills indoor practice facility next week to get the first 41 sets of our drill down next week!! CAN'T WAIT!!! If you're on the fence, stop by our recruitment booth at the Color guard show at RIT this weekend or at our performance Saturday evening, April 8th at Leroy High School! You won't be disappointed, I promise. We have a sound that only the Statesmen can produce and our winter shows are always fun for the audience - talk about participation!! ES06 Catch Some Rays B)

Tammy: Hey, we missed you and Dale this weekend! Saturday's camp was amazing. We spent the first part of camp working on What I Say, refining each section of the song, getting the rhythms down in sections, then working it altogether as a full horn line. THis song has to be my favorite and will certainly excite the crowd - Jerry has done a great job of arranging, no doubt. We also spent some time on our closer, especially the first part, Bye Bye Love, once again, getting the funky rhythms down. We then went to Unchain and the ballad for a while. After dinner, corned beef, cabbage and potatoes (what a great cook we have!!), We continued to work on ballad until we marched. Marching today we did alot of across the floors, focusing on step size, 8 to 5's and 6 to 5's, we also worked on jazz running and stop and go's. After marching, we met as a large group ensemble to put What I Say together with the percussion section, including the pit - talk about awesome!! Tammy, it's the best! I didn't go to practice on Sunday, however, Steve told me rehearsal was great! I think the plan was to work more on the closer and put it together with the percussion and pit too. Steve also told me we did a full run-through of all the songs - and it's March 18th! If you want to join an exciting organization and have a blast this summer soaking up some rays and thrilling the crowd, stop by our next rehearsal. April 8th, LeRoy High School. We perform that night for our second winter show. Catch Some Rays ES06 ^OO^